Hello Colin,
Triple skin kauri is a lovely way to build a
boat. That's a plus. Should the boat get bashed somewhere, not too many people know how to fix it, but not a problem in NZ. So if it were to be a problem it might occur during a
circumnavigation.
Is that a
Volvo saildrive in it? We've always avoided both
Volvo engines and saildrives. They do have their proponents, though. A CF Custom
Google search (in the menu under the Search button) on saildrives vs. shaft drives should get you to a discussion of that subject.
One of the good things about tall masts is that you can use a lot of sail in light airs, sailing when others are motoring can be deeply satisfying. And, as Jim said, you can sail around with short
sails while building confidence, then push your limits. A powerful rig means you may sail with a reef in more often than others. She has the potential to be a joy to sail.
One of the ways to learn a lot about your
new boat is to take it club
racing. You see what sail combinations which folks are using, you see what heel angles they are happy to utilize, and the other folks will be generous sharing their knowledge with you.
When you're ready for new
sails, seek out a
sailmaker who will give you good input about what you should have for how you sail your boat. Some lofts want to sell you what makes their profit biggest, but the smaller ones, sometimes are quite willing to
work with your needs.
It is a large boat for a first boat, you would be on the steep part of the
learning curve, too. It is indeed, spacious below, but how is she for hand holds? Our boat's somewhat similar in appearance below, but has finger rails instead of hand rails. Just imagine what you would grab onto when she is heeling and bouncing in a seaway, you really need to be able to get fwd sometimes, and it's easy to underestimate the importance of hand holds of some sort.
Ann